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A similar situation is building up in France, leaving lorries a target for migrants trying to make it to the UK.

Police are now looking at launching Operation Stack 3 for the first time in history - completing the same process on the London-bound carriageway - as traffic continues to build.

Last week, during the first strike by French ferry workers, chaotic scenes saw hundreds of migrants breaking in to parked lorries in a bid to stowaway to Britain.

French riot police were called to the Eurotunnel as migrants broke through security fences around the terminal.

AP

Both freight companies and Eurostar said they were suspending train services

Either grant the migrants asylum or send them back from where they came. Don't leave them living there milling around in a big soup

Donald Armour, FTA’s International Affairs Manager

A spokesman said: "We are finding migrants in the terminal and we are asking police to round them up. We are not a police force we are transport service.

"We are asking French authorities to reinforce their protection of the terminal given the current circumstances ofthe strike and the ongoing migrants crisis."

The Freight Transport Association calculated the staggering loss to UK and Euopean businesses using the estimated cost of £50 an hour for a driver to be static.

The figure takes in lost productivity and driver time.

REUTERS

Striking MyFerryLink workers run from burning tyres at Calais's Eurotunnel

There are 4,000-5,000 drivers going in and out of the UK a day and they are likely to be stuck in queues for four to five hours.

It means each day UK and European businesses could be losing £1,125,000 every day the strike continues.

Donald Armour, manager of International Affairs at the Freight Transport Association, said: "Haulage businesses don't have a high return. It will make make life uncomfortable for a lot of small and medium sized businesses.

"We want the French government to get a grip and keep the transport arteries free through northern France.

RETUERS

Riot police on the tracks of the Eurotunnel

"The migrants are a big, big problem. We are asking the government to put pressure on the French government to make them take responsibility. It's their duty and it's down to the French to solve it.

"Either grant them asylum or send them back from where they came. Don't leave them living there milling around in a big soup."

MyFerryLink workers are staging a wildcat walkout in protest of the business being bought out by DFDS Seaways. It has left up to 600 jobs under threat.

The transfer is set to come into play on Thursday but there are threats the strikes could continue even beyond that point.

AP

About 100 striking French ferry workers have blocked train traffic between France and England

Peter Cullum, head of international affairs at the Road Haulage Association, said: "We are telling members they should not plan to move in the next two to three days outside the UK.

"Some members are travelling via other routes but they don't have the capacity. Dover to Calais has about 70 to 80 per cent of the capacity, so you can't get 70 to 80 per cent of lorries through just 20 per cent of the remaining capacity.

"If the strike continues I don't think things will get back to normal until Friday.